Automatic Number Identification (ANI) is a system utilized by telephone companies to identify the Directory Number (DN) of a calling subscriber. ANI serves a function similar to Caller ID, but may utilize different underlying technology. It is possible that the Caller ID can be blocked by prefixing a call with *67. ANI was originally developed for telephone company billing purposes and is now offered to commercial customers who may benefit from knowing who is calling them. In addition, ANI is one of the core technologies behind the 911 emergency services.
In commercial applications, a user may have an integrated or extraneous display affixed to a telephone. Such a display presents the ANI or telephone number of the calling party. In addition, the display may present the caller's name or calling name, also known as CNAM. Similarly, in case of a Short Messaging Service (SMS), the display may present a sender's name. However, the user may prefer to hear the audio of the information rather then watching the display. As such, a need exists for providing audio announcement along with other information to the user.